UT teachers demand equal allowance for mobile phone bills

UT government school teachers have demanded an equal salary allowance for their mobile phone bills.

Teachers have described the demand as “important”, saying that the allowance should be equal as has been set in Punjab Service Rules, which is followed by the UT.

At present, the monthly phone allowance for UT teachers in A category is `500, B category is `300, C category is `250 and D category is `200.

Vinod Sharma, president of Government Teachers' Union, and principal of Government Model High School in Sector 34, said, “The purpose of a mobile phone is to be able to contact any employee at the departmental level. This allowance system has been implemented by the Punjab government, and is mandatory. I do not know why nothing has been done on this front,” he said.

Swarn Singh Kamboj, president of UT Cadre Education Employees Union that too has demanded for equal allowance, said, “If the government and administration provide equal allowances, then I think the numbers should be made public. This will also include the numbers of officers and principals. This way, parents will be able to contact everyone.”

Meanwhile, UT education secretary VK Singh said they were looking into the matter.

A parent seconded Kamoj's opinion. “If the government is providing allowances, then their numbers should be made public. Mostly, even during the time of Class-11 admissions, numbers remain switched off,” said Deepak Kumar, whose child studies at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16.